We’ve all heard the saying “when you look good you feel good” and that goes for your health and how you look physically as well as what you wear. It sounds a little shallow but what you wear can say a lot about you, it helps express various moods and individuality. I’ve been struggling with my body image for the past few months after losing 27 pounds due to kidney failure and being on dialysis, needless to say I haven’t been feeling like myself and this feeling often translates to how I dress. Sweats, leggings, hoodies, and t-shirts have pretty much been my go to choices due to the overwhelming need for comfort (as well as camouflaging the catheter in my neck) but to be honest I am still uncomfortable. My clothes don’t fit and I don’t feel like myself. Getting dressed is usually my favorite part of the day because my style is heavily based on my mood but most days I’ve been serving sweatpant realness and to be honest I’m over myself. And to be even more honest I HATE getting dressed now which makes me sad because fashion and style is everything to me and my clothes shouldn’t feel like the enemy. I swear it takes me hours sometimes days just to find a outfit I feel somewhat comfortable in for blog posts and even then I’ve adopted the “fake it till you make it” philosophy and take the pictures even though I think I look like shit. Having this negative relationship with my clothes right now sucks and I’m sure we’ve all felt insecure about our body image before but the important thing is to not stay stuck. I see people like fashion blogger Kyrzayda Rodriguez (@kyrzayda_ on Instagram) who is battling stage 4 cancer and through everything she continues to push through her struggles with her own body image and does it so gracefully. We both love fashion and she has refused to let her health stop her from getting dressed and looking her best and she is a major inspiration for me to really push myself as far as my blogging is concerned.

I need to get back to who I am when it comes to my personal style and I’m going to do that by focusing on the pieces in my closet that make me feel comfortable and confident. Whether I am 140 or 113 I need to love my body because I only get one and self love is so important. If you’re struggling with your body image focus on the positive and make a conscious effort to change the things you don’t like, and remember the change won’t happen overnight but it will definitely happen.

I’m going to push myself to get back to the old me and I hope you guys push yourself out of your fashion comfort zones or any comfort zones moving forward. Happy Friday!

Have you ever looked at all of the clothes in your closet and still felt like you had nothing to wear? Same. That doesn’t mean that its time to go on a shopping spree though, sometimes you have to shop your own closet to create the looks you’re trying to serve. I can’t tell you how many items in my closet I forget I have and when I come across them I instantly start creating new looks in my head. My number one rule for shopping your closet is to SWITCH IT UP! If the last time you wore that dress it was for a fancy occasion switch it up and make it casual. Add sneakers and a denim jacket to turn a night look into a day look. Or a layer a sweatshirt on top and turn that dress into a skirt. Hair and makeup also play a big part in changing up your look so if you wore your hair down the first time put it in a low bun or a top knot. Had on minimal makeup? Go full glam with a bold lip and lashes! Accessories are also a instant game changer so play around with those as well.

The last time I wore this slogan tee from Zara on the blog I paired it with a gingham skirt and ankles boots. This time around I wore jeans, a blazer, minimal heels and a baker boy hat. Remember what I said about accessories? The hat gave this look a whole different vibe and finding new ways to wear items you already own is the fun part of fashion. Happy Monday!

When spring is in the air everyone including myself wants to revamp their wardrobe, I don’t know if its the nice weather, the new trends, or both that inspire the change but something sets us off. However in the midst of fanny packs, dad sneakers, berets and more I think it is important that we remember the power of our basic items. A simple t shirt and a good pair of jeans are the basics that I can’t live without, they are also the base of so many cool outfits just add accessories and go! I used to underestimate the power of a simple foundation but as I got older and I started to dabble in the art of layering I realized those bomb ass layered outfits usually start with basic pieces. My current favorite look when I’m feeling lazy is a cute slogan tee with a great pair of jeans. Add statement earrings, a bold lip, heels or sneakers and its a look honey!

I never thought I would see the day that fanny packs came back into style, I also should have known better because EVERYTHING comes back into style. Whether you call it a fanny pack, a belt bag or a “bum bag” the trend has been revived and is all over the runways and in these streets. Even though I love to experiment I was going to pass on this trend to be honest. I like the look on other people but I wasn’t sure how I would feel about it on myself and I try to stay away from anything that feels too trendy and overdone.

However the convenience of being hands free and the super cute styles were slowly but surely sucking me in and then BOOM! My cousin buys me one for my birthday. Naturally I put it on and wore it around the house for a few hours because how else does one test drive a trend? After thinking of multiple outfits and double checking the mirror to make sure I didn’t look like a complete fool I decided to get on board. I’m definitely here for the revival and plan on styling a lot more looks this spring and summer. My only advice would be not to break the bank with this trend because it probably won’t be around next season, but if you could care less about trends and this makes sense for you to invest in for your wardrobe then do you boo!

I’ve always been a fan of the color red it’s my personal power color and whenever I wear it I feel confident, which is obvious because you don’t wear red to blend in. It is also one of my favorite pops of color in an outfit so you can imagine my excitement when I saw red all over the runways and trend boards for this season. This trend is not for the faint of heart but if you want to try it out start off small with shoes and accessories. I paired a simple tshirt and high waisted jeans (my new uniform) with these red patent boots from Miss Selfridge that I will be wearing the hell out of from now on. Not only do they have a chunky heel which I love but they’re super comfortable for walking around in New York. You can also do a pair of red statement earrings or a red bag if you want to keep it subtle, but if you’re anything like me a full on red monochrome look is in the near future! Click the links to shop the look below.

Happy Monday everyone! I know I’ve been MIA for a while and it’s mostly because my life was in shambles. I needed to close for spiritual maintenance (yes that is a thing) after losing both of my grandmother’s back to back. Now that my favorite season is approaching I’m feeling inspired again and I wanted to start off with this gingham look.

Checked prints like gingham, plaid, houndstooth, and the Prince of Wales check for my U.K. people are huge for this Fall/Winter season and I love it. Checked prints are pretty classic so paring them with a slogan tshirt which are currently trending as well is a good way to mix it up. Gingham in particular has been trending for a while now and I finally decided to try it out with this H&M ruffle mini skirt. My shirt is from Zara and my boots are last season Public Desire.

I am currently obsessed with pants in all colors, cuts, and prints. I’ve been in a style rut lately but a cool pair of pants always make me feel put together. I found these red J.Crew pants at the thrift store ( of course) and I had to have them!

I love mixing more classic clean cut items with something like a graphic tee to give it a little more edge, and Debbie Harry is the queen of edgy so it was the perfect union. My bag is from Foever21 and my shoes are thrifted. I hope you guys are having a great week so far!

Summer officially starts in a few days but true to form I’m still wearing all black. I know people typically go for lighter and brighter colors when the weather warms up and I do too but black will always be my thing. The trick to wearing all black is to choose breathe-able fabrics such as cotton and linen. I also like to show some skin so I’m not completely covered up and my outfit makes sense for the weather.

Adding pops of color or a print breaks up the monotony of an all black outfit in general. My heels are from the first Juneambrose collection for HSN that was released a couple of years ago. The heel has this beautiful peacock print that I’m obsessed with, and I played up the green and blue tones with my green clutch.

I could have gone a step further and added some jewelry in the same color family but I haven’t been into jewelry recently. But knowing me that will change really soon and I’ll be walking around looking like a human accessories closet.

These days everyone is a self proclaimed “fashionista” and what you wear is often the topic of discussion. There are those who dress effortlessly, those who dress like Kardashian clones and those who have no clue how to put an outfit together. Fashion and personal style are two totally different things in my opinion, you can wear an outfit that’s straight off of the mannequin and that’s fashion. But personal style is a feeling, a vibe, a mood, or whatever you want to call it. It shows off our personality and let’s people know who we are without saying a word. When it comes to my own personal style I can never put myself in a box, I dress solely based on my mood and that changes everyday. I am inspired by music, movies, celebrities, bloggers, art, colors, and the list goes on. I know a lot of people struggle with finding their own personal style so I have a few tips that may help.

1). Find Inspiration. The first thing you need to do is find out what you’re drawn to as far as color, cut, prints, silhouette, or even a decade such as the 80’s ( which is a personal favorite). Whatever it is save examples from magazines or online that way you can refer to them when you go shopping.

2) Experiment. You’re never going to know what you like until you try it. If you want to try a certain trend go for it! I personally shop for more trendy pieces at stores like H&M, Zara, and Forever21 because it allows you to experiment without breaking the bank. Trends are short lived and you won’t feel bad when certain things go out of style because you didn’t spend an arm and a leg on something like a neon ruffled skirt with a dramatic bow. The worst that could happen when experimenting is that you discover what you don’t like which might actually be a blessing in disguise.

3) BE YOURSELF! I cannot stress this enough. I get so bored of seeing everyone looking the same. Where’s the originality? More importantly where is the fun?! Fashion is supposed to be fun and a representation of who you are. Now if you’re someone who only wears neutrals or all black that’s fine, do your thing. But if you really love colors or prints or platform heels, wear that shit and do it with pride! We have one life to live might as well wear what makes you happy.

As for what I’m wearing my top is H&M, my jeans are Levi’s that I thrifted for $5, my shoes are Ralph Lauren which were also thrifted for $12 (score!). They gave me all the Carrie Bradshaw feels so I had to have them and they’re super comfortable. My green clutch was also another thrifted gem. Happy Wednesday!